Not A Lie
by Krazy Ky-Sta Hatter
Summary: What would happen if it really wasnt a lie? When Peeta told Panem she was pregnant he had no idea that it was going to be true. So how does Katniss cope when Peeta wants to kill her!
1. Realisation

**Realisation**

I draw back my string; focus on the deer, I loose my arrow. It flies straight and true to hit its mark. The deer falls. It was the first deer we sighted since they let us start hunting and Gale pats me on the back and begins to whoop; scaring away all other game we could have hunted.

"This is gonna make a good meal!" he says as we run over to it.

We kneel over it, I pull out my arrow and Gale slits its throat for good measure. Which I find pointless. Then he heaves it up in his arms and puts it over his shoulder. The deer is a good weight and he stagers slightly under the pressure, but he soon comes right.

"Need some help?" I ask. I stand up to give him a hand but am overcome by a strange wave of vertigo and have to sit down right away.

"Are you okay?" he asks in concern and nearly drops the deer.

"I'm fine," I tell him. "Just a little dizzy. My head still mustn't be right." Gale gives a small nod as I slowly pulled myself to my feet. We trudged back to 13's gates where some solders are waiting for us. I find myself slightly out of breath, there is something nagging at me in the back of my head. Something I just can't quite remember. I've been having that nagging thought for the two months I'd been here at District 13. But I can't figure out what it is. I'd been forgetting about a lot of things lately. What with being in the hospital and my mind being in shock. Lately all that was on my mind was Peeta's up coming rescue mission. Which they _refused_ to let me go on.

The soldiers take the deer off Gale and help us down to the kitchens.

Greasy Sae breaks out in a huge grin as she sees what we caught. I sit up on a counter and she begins to skin the animal. The smell of raw animal meat reaches me and I scrunch my nose. Had this deer been ill or diseased? It smells terrible… almost rotten. As they cut into the flesh my stomach lurches and I quickly run over to the empty sink where I puke my guts out. Gale is right behind me holding my hair off my face and rubbing my back.

"Ugh," I groan. "What is wrong with that meat…? It's awful!" Gale and Greasy Say look at me oddly.

"The deer's just fine Katniss," Gail tells me. "It's just like every other one we've hunted… you must be sick. Come on let's take you to the hospital to see your mum."

"No, no. I feel fine now," I tell him. "Except now I'm _really _hungry!"

"Well try and hold on till dinner, it's not to far away." Greasy Sae never thinks too much about how sick people are. If they throw up then want food right after that's just fine with her.

"What! How can you think of eating now?" Gale cries.

"Oh, leave her alone," says Greasy Sae. "It's because she's pregnant." I'm startled by that for a second before I remember that Plutarch had forgotten to spread the rumour of my miscarriage. Not that it mattered. Most people in 13 knew it was a hoax anyway.

"No, I'm not pregnant. That was just a-" I stop as I realise what had been bugging me all this time. "A cover up," I continue. "To win some sympathy from the Capitol… I have to go," I say. Then I run from the room.

I don't stop running till I reach the small bathroom in my room. I yank open the draw labelled with my name and look in. There at the back is the unopened packet of sanitary pads that had been there when I arrived nearly two months ago… _Two moths ago!_ I don't even need to count down the days since my last period because all I know is that it was before the games!

I turn the tap on and splash my face. I take a deep breath as I look at myself in the mirror.

I am pregnant.

I. Am. Pregnant!

I flash back to that night just before the games when Peeta and I had been taken over by that crazy passionate kiss. The night we had made love.

That had been near exactly two months ago.

I am pregnant with Peeta's child.

I look at my reflection again before I crumple to the ground, broken down with tears.

_I am pregnant_.


	2. Annoying Smart People!

**Annoying Smart People!**

I have managed to compose myself enough after yesterday to leave my room. My mother and Prim had been really worried but had assumed that I was upset about Peeta. They had assured me that everything would be fine when they would rescue him tomorrow… tomorrow being today!

But I have still been rather upset. Plutarch comes up to me.

"Why so mopey?" he asks. "We're getting Peeta out today!"

"Just upset that I can't go too," I lie. Plutarch rolls his eyes.

"Yes well, we have to keep you safe. You're our Mockingjay. And what with that imaginary baby and all… Crap!" he slaps his forehead. "The miscarriage rumour. I completely forgot, I'll go start it now. It could account for the depressed mood today."

"No, no, wait," I cry pulling him back. I quickly think of something to stop him from spreading the rumour. "I know this sounds stupid and it probably won't help in the least but… I… I think the people of the capitol won't hate me as much if they still think I am pregnant." Plutarch looks at me oddly.

"Katniss that wont make any difference at all."

"Just humour me please!" my eyes are wide and begging.

"And what about when you're meant to start looking rather pregnant?" he counters.

"Shove pillows up my shirt; put a fake belly on me or something. Just _please_ leave things as they are for now," I say.

He gives me that same odd look but finally shrugs and moves off. I grab my breakfast and go and sit with Gale. As I sit down my shirt draws tight across my stomach for a quick second as I straighten out. I dig into my breakfast right away and eat greedily.

"Whoa Katniss," Gale laughs. "You don't need to act like you're eating for two, everyone here knows the baby is a fake… well now they do," he laughs at the memory of Greasy Sae yesterday. "It's no wonder you've put on a little extra weight. You probably eat and finish so fast that you can go back for seconds with out the machine even noticing!" everyone at the table laughs and I have to force myself to laugh along too.

The rest of breakfast was a total blur; people would have to say my name a few times before I would notice they are talking to me. The only thing I notice right off is the beep from Gale's communicuff that means it is time to start the rescue mission.

It is soon after they leave that Finnick and I start getting twitchy. Plutarch suggests to us that we should make a promo to distract ourselves. I know I can't do nothing but wait so we both agree. Then we are being swept off to the remake room where we are greeted warmly by my completely changed stylists.

They welcome the new arrival of Finnick, and Venia and Flavius start the extreme make over right away. Octavia stays to work on me. I keep forgetting how beautiful she looks without her Capitol fashion. Though at the moment her skin is loosing its dye and she looks a washed out green colour; like she was about to be sick.

I have to take off my clothes but she lets me keep my underwear on. Across the room the other stylists stop attacking Finnick to quickly look at me. I see him mouth the word 'help' before Flavius began to speak.

"Goodness Katniss what has that Greasy woman been feeding you?" he cries. "It's good that you're gaining a little weight here, but that just doesn't look natural." I look down at my stomach, Finnick does too.

"Oh don't be so silly. It's her baby bump, it looks so adorable!" Octavia gushes. "You know I'm rather an expert when it comes to baby bellies."

"Um," I say uncomfortably.

"It must be a rather small baby because you only look about two months along. You should be nearly three shouldn't you?

No matter there's still enough of a bump so that I can tell it's going to be a girl, see the way the belly sits. Trust me on this I _never_ get it wrong! What do you think you'll call-"

"She's not pregnant" Plutarch begins to laugh behind us.

"But-" Octavia looks totally confused and bewildered.

"It was just something Peeta said to get a good reaction from the Capitol," Plutarch tells her.

"But she's-" I look at her pleadingly and shake my head ever so slightly. She seems to click on. She's confused about it, but she gets it. "Then again there was that one I said would be a boy and it was a girl," she says acting confused and ditsy. "Oh I don't know. I've been very out of it here. It's so hard to keep focus with so little food. I'm probably wrong."

"Sorry," I say. "But you are. It was just something Peeta said in the spur of the moment… like his profession of love, though that is actually real." She exaggerates her disgruntled sad face. I see Plutarch roll his eyes and I know he's fallen for it. But I catch Finnick's eye. He is staring at me intently. He hasn't fallen for it; he knows.


	3. A Damn Miracle

**A Damn Miracle**

I look down at my once again bandaged left arm. It must look hideous now. What with the scar from Johanna and the new wound from the bullet. I was lucky. It had narrowly avoided my chest and had only grazed my arm.

I had Gale to thank for saving my life. While I was trying to reason with a man with a gun in District 2 I was shot by a Peacekeeper. Gail had noticed he was about to shoot and lunged at the man. The bullet only nicked my arm and unfortunately it hit the District 2 man who was finally starting to come around.

I had been in District 2 to distract myself again. And ironically to get some rest. But mostly to escape.

I had been so happy to see Peeta again but he has changed. The Capitol has done something awful to him and now he can't stand me. He even thinks that I'm a _mutt!_

And on the first moment I saw him he had even tried to throttle me to death. My throat had been severely damaged. I needed to stay in the hospital for a few days and it took a long time for my voice to come back.

I think it is a miracle that between that trip to the hospital and the one to get my arm patched up, no one noticed my belly.

I look down at it now. I am lying on my bed and I can just see it over top of my breasts which have gotten rather large too.

I won't be able to hide it for much longer.

I now share a room with the recently out of hospital Johanna and I think she is starting to suspect.

I was so glad that Octavia had altered my shirts so that it hid most of the bump. It seems she even has a slight flare for clothes too. I think Cinna would have been proud… of course he probably could have managed to make something to make me look not pregnant when I was at eight months!

I miss him.

I look down at the bump. For a while I had considered aborting it; forcing a miscarriage. I can never bring a baby into this world, this horrible, horrible world. But I know I could never actually do it. In my womb is life. A little tiny life inside of me. And I know I can't do it. She's just a child, a baby! It would be worse than the hunger games!

I had been calling it 'her' ever since Octavia had predicted it would be a girl. I keep wondering what Peeta would want to call his daughter.

I sigh. I don't know what Peeta would want to call her because Peeta is gone. He's not Peeta anymore. And he will most likely never get to name our baby.

But I keep thinking that if we could hold the war off another six moths then maybe seeing the baby… seeing _his_ baby might bring him back.

I know that will never happen though, the war being held off.

But I had made up my mind. Even if I did have the gall to get rid of her, I wouldn't. I am going to have this baby for Peeta. So that if we survive he might be himself again.

I have been getting reports about him… apparently he's improving. Enough to let him out escorted by guards. I have seen him twice since I have been back. Both times I got _really_ angry and left, and then I broke down crying in my room.

Damn hormones...! Or at least that's what I keep telling my self.


	4. Telling Peeta

**Telling Peeta**

I stand in a corner with Peeta. We are surrounded by guards far away enough that they won't hear our conversation but close enough that they can get to us in less than a second.

He had wanted to talk to me. Everyone thought it would be healthy for him, he can try and warm up to me.

I want him to get better too so I don't object. But things turned to arguing very quickly.

"And you really think that will help protect you?" Peeta sneers.

"You're the one who came up with the idea in the first place!" I snap at him.

"Why do you still pretend to be pregnant? It's so stupid!" he hisses at me. I look around at all the guards, my eyes wide with fear. Thankfully no one has heard. I take him by the hand and drag him to a nearby empty cupboard and barricade it by putting a broom through the handles. I know it's dangerous to be alone with him, but I can't care less. Peeta has to know.

He looks at me with a scowl though he also seems confused. Cautiously I take his hand, lift up the bottom of my top, and gently move his hand over the bare skin of my belly. I let him feel the large bump forming there.

"What are you doing? Oh what? So you-" his harsh words cut off, he stops and his eyes widen. "You… you actually are?" I nod and his hand begins to move over my belly by its self.

"And I'm…? It's not Gale's is it?" he asks, his face darkens.

"No, it's yours," my voice shakes.

"I… I don't remember when," he confesses. "A lot of the memories that weren't altered were wiped. I need to be told them to remember it." I feel a tear roll down my cheek.

"It was the night before the games… after the interview," I tell him.

A small smile appears on his face and he almost laughs.

"So right after I tell the world that you're pregnant, I actually _do_ get you pregnant!" I smile a little bit at that too. But I am quickly dragged back to the clutches of despair. The tears roll down my face freely and I tell Peeta something I have never said aloud.

"I'm scared Peeta," I sob. "I never wanted to have kids. I never wanted to get married because of it. I didn't want to bring a child into _this_ world… especially not now with the revolution, now it's worse. At first I was scared because of the reaping. Then when we won I was extra scared because I know that it will be rigged for my child to go to the arena! And now… well look at us!" I cry. Peeta is looking at me sadly and hesitantly he pulls me into his embrace. I hold him back and take the slight comfort he offers.

At that moment the broom cracks in half, the doors burst open and Boggs pulls Peeta off me and pins him to the ground. He doesn't struggle.

"Stop! What are you doing?" I shriek. Boggs only looks at me in concern and his look becomes calculating when he sees the tears still wet on my cheeks.

"Are you alright?" he asks. "Did he hurt you?"

"No!" I cry. "I was upset, he was actually being nice!" Boggs looks at him for a second longer before he finally lets him up.

As Peeta and I continue to talk, not about the baby of course, I hear the guards commenting about how he's changed so dramatically in those few seconds we were in the cupboard together. And they are right. He is much more himself than he had been.

Of course the normal Peeta would be euphoric and wouldn't be able to let go of me by now. And he'd yell it out so all of 13 could hear it.

But he wasn't yelling that he had created a demon mutt spawn either. So things were looking rather good. So good in fact that the guards let him come to my room to talk. And only Boggs will be stationed outside the door.

For the rest of the day we lie on my bed talking. His arm is around my shoulder and my shirt is pulled up and he traces his fingers along the bump in my belly that is our baby. Though at times I can see that he is struggling to keep a grip on himself.

I helped clarify some of his mixed up memories of me and tell him about ones he doesn't remember. Some parts he slowly begins to remember as I tell him. He says other parts will come back in his dreams.

I even tell him _everything _that happened that night. For a second I think I hear a groan, from a woman, but I know the room is empty. I must be hearing things.

"So, when did you find out?" he asks patting my belly.

"The day before the rescue," I tell him. "I spent the day crying on the bathroom floor. I probably wouldn't have guessed for a lot longer if Greasy Sae hadn't mentioned me being pregnant. I've been rather out of it what with the concussion and the sedatives they had me on for… it could have been a week?" Peeta just smiles at me sadly.

"So you're about three and a half months now?" he asks and I nod.

"Just a few more weeks and she'll start kicking," I say. Peeta looks at me surprised.

"_She_?" he says. I look down sheepishly.

"Octavia recons it will be a girl."

"Who else knows!" he demands, a hint of that coldness coming back.

"Finnick," I say. "And most likely Venia and Flavius. They were all in the room when I was being done up. Plutarch was there too but I don't think he would have noticed if I had written it on my belly and sung it to the world." This makes him laugh a little.

The door creaks and Peeta quickly pulls my shirt down just as Boggs pops his head through the door.

"Time to go Peeta," he says.

"Give me a minute," Peeta begs. Boggs grudgingly nods and pops back out. Peeta takes a pen from off my bedside table and pulls up my shirt again. He draws a beautiful heart where I can see it if I look down. Then he kisses my head and leaves.

I'm still looking down at the heart on my belly when I hear the voice.

"So the baby's not a fake huh?" Johanna says as she suddenly pops up from behind her bed. She must have been lying there the whole time hidden from sight.

I jump and automatically hide my belly even though it's useless.

"Holy shit, Johanna!" I cry. Johanna laughs and walks over to me.

"Look's like the baby's out of the bag. Show me," she nods to the bulge of my tummy. I just glair at her. "Show me!" she insists. But I still only lie there and glair at her. "Oh, for gods sakes!" she grumbles and before I can stop her she pulls my shirt up again. "Aww, how cute, Daddy drew a love heart," she mocks. "You know, a lot of things are making sense now. The sickness, the weird food changes, that _annoying_ thing you do in your sleep."

"Go away Johanna," I say flatly.

"Why are you even bothering to keep it a secret?" she asks. I say nothing, I only stare down at my belly. I see her looking at me calculatingly at me from the corner of my eye. The she gasps and squeals happily. "It's that Gail boy isn't it? You don't want to hurt him, I mean he is _so_ not your cousin. He loves you." She still looks at me with that calculating stare. "And you love him." I snap my head up to protest but am cut off. "You _do_ love him, but it's closer to friends. But Peeta… you would have to be the dumbest person in the world not to see how much you love him. Gail knows it. He sees it everyday. Frankly I don't really think it will make a difference if you're actually not fake pregnant." I only continue to glair at her.

"When did you become so philosophical and all knowing," I snap.

"When did you get knocked up? Oh… that's right! The night you said you were!"

"If you breathe so much as a word of this to anyone, you _will_ regret it!" I threaten. Johanna laughs.

"Really and what are you going to do? Make me change the thing's dippers?"

"No, I don't think I'd trust you with her. And that's too nice. Let's see, well I can stop stealing the morphling for you. And that's just the start. I'm sure I'll think up a few good evil things tonight." Her eyes narrow and without another word she grumpily storms back to her bed.


	5. Discovered

**Discovered**

I am actually rather surprised. Johanna has managed to keep my secret so far. But it doesn't look like it will matter for long. After all I am four months now. People are starting to notice. Things like my tummy being oddly large when I am still _very_ skinny. And that I refuse to eat venison, which I used to love. And every time someone says something bad, suspicious or questionable, Peeta is there to defend me.

Everyone is amazed at how much he has improved. He still has a lot of moments where he struggles to keep a hold of himself. And many people are still weary of him. I may be the only one who fully trusts him, which is funny because I'm the one in the most danger. Gale has to trust him the least. Even less than Coin! If he had it his way Peeta would be kept under lock and key about a dozen miles away from me. I can see that it is mostly jealousy though.

I go hunting with Gale. I can still move silently, though climbing trees is harder, I can still do it. My aim is as accurate as ever.

After, Peeta arrives for his allotted time outside (which helps him) and we lie in the grass. I am on my back, hands on my bump, gazing at the clouds. Peeta lies near me with his knees up and his hands behind his head. Gale is half sitting up with a blade of long grass in his mouth. I can see him looking at me.

"Are you ill?" he suddenly asks.

"No," I reply.

"Oh… because you're sick a lot. And you're looking… I don't know, just weird. Your stomach looks really odd and larger, but your writs are even skinnier than usual," he says. I see Peeta become uneasy.

"I'm fine," I say. "I'm just not getting enough sleep." It isn't a lie. I am not getting much sleep at all and when I do Johanna wakes me up because I annoy her with my nightmare thrashing, murmuring Peeta's name or some of my other habits she thinks the baby is making me do. Which to me just sounds ridiculous.

"What about your stomach?" he counters. Peeta looks very uncomfortable and slightly angry.

"Pillow," I lie easily. "Plutarch wants me to keep pretending to be pregnant. He's gotten my prep team to get me a fake belly!" I laugh.

"C'mon Katniss-" Gale says disbelievingly.

"Lay off her!" Peeta snaps.

"Whoa! Calm down Peeta." He says. "_What's his problem?_" he mouths to me. I move closer and whisper to him.

"He doesn't like it. Some of his memories are still terrible and he struggles to stay in control more than you realise. The baby's a touchy subject." Gale nods but I can see that he is still suspicious.

"Right, I'm leaving," Peeta announces. "Katniss, you coming?" I look at Gale then back at Peeta. I know that if I stay Gale will only question me more. So I go with Peeta. Behind me Gale sulks angrily and watches as I walk off with the one person I'm sure he doesn't like.

We head down for lunch. I scrunch my nose when rice, vegetables and Venison land on my plate. We sit down at a table. Haymitch, Plutarch, Finnick, my prep team and a few others are there. My mother and Prim are a table over and thankfully Gale and Johanna aren't even in the hall.

I struggle to move oddly into a sitting position, the belly making it harder. Peeta tries to help me inconspicuously but it is obvious and everyone has notices.

"Oh, good" Plutarch says to my prep team. "You've fitted her with that belly." They say nothing but they nod covering for me.

I look down at my venison and screw up my nose again.

"Peeta, do you want my venison?" I ask. "I don't really like it anymore." He looks at me oddly.

"But I thought it was one of your favourites," he says. I forgot that I hadn't told him I don't like it anymore so now it's up to me to cover it up. Thankfully I randomly remember a fact.

"Your taste buds change so much that you have to try everything eight times after you turn twenty-one till they know weather you actually like something or not."

"But you're not twenty-one are you?" Haymitch says.

"Exactly, I'm nearly 18 my taste buds still haven't decided yet," I counter. He and Peeta roll their eyes.

"Fine," Peeta finally says. "But you have to have some of my rice and veggies." I shake my head.

"No, it's okay. You eat them." Peeta's fist clenches.

"You need to eat Katniss! This isn't healthy. You're not getting enough as it is. You're already sick, you need to look after yourself!" he nearly yells at me. His voice drops into a whisper, "you need to look after her." The only ones close enough to hear are Octavia and Finnick.

Octavia is nodding encouragingly at me, begging with her eyes for me to eat. Finnick is giving me an almost sarcastic look that screams 'just take the freaking food before you start a scene!'

"Fine!" I sigh in exasperation. That is the only reason I accept. Because if I don't Peeta will get desperate and we might risk letting it slip.

"Wow," says Gale arriving behind us. "Congratulations Peeta, you just got the ever stubborn Katniss to give in." he sits down at the table a few seats down. At the same moment Johanna arrives and sits next to Annie who looks at her wearily.

I feel Gale glaring at Peeta and me. I know he is hurt.

"I'm going to go sit with Mum and Prim. I haven't spoken to them in a while." I stand up and as I move over to the next table Gale and Peeta start to rise. I wave them both back.

Prim says hi and smiles at me but other than that we eat in silence. I can hear everything they say back at the other table.

"Humph, looks like she'd roll over for you Peeta," Haymitch says jokingly.

"She already has," Johanna laughed snidely. I look around to see everyone look at her in confusion. She was glaring at Peeta, I can't see his face but I know that he is glaring back and that he had kicked her under the table.

"What?" says Plutarch.

"Nothing," Peeta says quickly. "Just Johanna being Johanna."

I wasn't sure who I was angrier with. Haymitch with his roll over (obedient dog) joke. Or Johanna who turned it into a sexual joke!

"Speaking of Katniss, is she okay. She looks pretty sick and she seems more quite than usual," Annie suddenly said, surprising everyone with how clear she sounded.

"Oh please, quite? At lest you didn't have to listen to all the gory details of the night she-"

"Told me she is in love with me," Peeta quickly cuts her off. I know that Gale is hurting really bad right now. Peeta's comment will have been a blow to the head. I really should be angry with Peeta but I know it's true. I slept with him _because_ I love him. And how can you hate the father of your child if he's done you no wrong… well intentionally anyway.

"I still don't get it," Gale says angrily. "Why is she still pretending to be pregnant?"

"Probably because she actually ieaow!" Johanna's 'is' turns into a cry as Peeta, no doubt, kicks her under the table again.

"What did you do that for?" she demands.

"Oh, sorry Jo. That was me. Didn't mean to get you… or get you so hard," Finnick says covering for us.

"She thinks it will protect her against the capitol a little if they still think she is," Plutarch tells him ignoring the others. Gale is taken aback a moment.

"What? She said you were _making_ her do it!" Gale, Plutarch and Haymitch look at each other in confusion.

"Hmm," Johanna says in mock wonder and innocence. "I wonder why she told you both two completely different reasons? I don't see any reason why she would lie. What do you think Peeta? You've been so quiet but I'm sure Da-" there is another thump from under the table. Johanna jumps to her feet. "I swear Peeta if you do that one more time I'm going to kill you!"

Finally I stand up and walk over.

"Johanna!" I say strongly. "Sit down and shut up. Stop being an annoying antagonistic winey cow. And if you so much as ever threaten Peeta again I will kill you!"

I sit down next to Peeta and am about to say something to throw them off what Johanna said when I feel something. A small push, a knock on my belly. From inside my belly.

My baby just kicked.

"Oh," I breathe a little to loudly. It takes all I have to resist the urge to put my hand on the small bumps on my tummy. The baby kicks a few more times. "Oh," I say again.

"What? What is it, are you okay?" Peeta asks in concern.

"Nothing, I'm fine," I say as I turn to him. I am sure that he sees the light in my eyes and the happy wondering smile. "But I think I might go to my room now." I awkwardly get up again, my shirt pulls tightly against my skin. There is no mistake this time that everyone saw the shape of my belly. Then I walk away with out even looking back.

I lie in bed for about twenty minutes before Peeta finally arrives.

"Well that was a disaster," he says as he lies down with me. "After you left Johanna kept trying to tell everyone. I had to chase her out of there."

"Really? How'd you do that?" I laugh trying to make light of the situation.

"I insulted her, she insulted me back. In the end I told her to go steal her own morphling because you wouldn't do it anymore and she walked out in a huff." This time I genuinely laugh.

"But there's a lot of damage. Everyone suspects now… especially Gale. And Haymitch knows." I nod, it was obvious Haymitch would find out. I don't really mind as long as he doesn't broadcast it. "He caught up to me as soon as I left. He straight out asked me if you were pregnant and I had to say yes… it's Haymitch. He said congrats to me, condolences to you," he smiles. "And that I have to stick by you at all times from now on."

"Why?" I ask.

"Gale. I believe the direct quote was 'It will be bad enough with you there, I don't want to see what happens if she's by herself.' He… well I think he knows."

I swallow and nod. Thing had not gone good for Gale and I today. What with me choosing Peeta over him this morning, Peeta saying I admitted I loved him, therefore _not_ Gale. And now he has guessed I am pregnant.

No, I can't Imagine this goin down well.

"So why did you leave?" Peeta asks. As if on cue the baby kicks and I smile and take his hand.

"This," I say placing it on the spot where our daughter's feet were hammering against my side. Peeta pauses a moment then his face lights up.

"Well doesn't this look cosy," Gale's bitter voice comes from the door way. We both snap around to look at him. "Peeta get out. I want to speak to Katniss alone," he says harshly.

"No. whatever you have to say to her you can say to me," Peeta replies defiantly.

"Fine then. I will talk to you!" he moves around and sits in a chair. "Don't you think it's funny that Katniss has been acting really odd lately?" he starts. "She's hiding things and lying. And she is such a terrible liar. She's always sick and is getting unhealthily skinny. Yet most of the time she would eat a double helping if she could. Then all of a sudden she won't eat anything. And her stomach looks like someone stuffed a 'pillow' up her top. Well a skin coloured pillow that is somehow attached to her skin with no ties or anything. And her breasts are larger… not, not that I stare at her breasts…! And isn't it funny that the second anyone brings up the fake pregnancy thing you get all defensive and protect her. And half the time you can barely be in the same room with her-"

"What do you want Gale?" I snap cutting him off.

"I want to hear you say it Katniss. Just tell me the truth." He knows, there is no point in holding back.

"I'm pregnant," I say flatly. Normally I would have said it with more emotion. Maybe I might have been scared or nervous telling him. But at the moment he is just annoying me too much.

And although he _did_ already know Gale deflates like a bag.

"Was that so hard?" he asks tiredly as gets up to leave. He glares hatefully at Peeta. And the way he looks at me! So sad and full of pain, longing and even the tiniest bit of hate too. The look in his eyes, I know is unforgiving.


	6. Leaving

**Leaving**

Gale isn't talking to me. He hasn't since I told him. And that was three weeks ago now.

I think both he _and I_ have realised that I love Peeta, not him. Gale has always been like my older brother, a fuel to feed the fire. But my fire is already to large. I need someone who can calm me, and be my light and my hope.

That is what Peeta is. He is my Dandelion.

My belly looks like someone has shoved a balloon up my shirt. Mum says I'm over half way into my second trimester and that the baby should be due roughly in four months.

Four more months! Four more moths of carrying this child. I'm not sure weather it's a good thing or a bad thing. I just want to keep her in there and protect her from the world she doesn't have to see yet. Then again this belly and the way people treat me is so _annoying_!

Yes, everyone knows about it now. Half the people at my table had figured it out that day anyway. But it didn't help that Gale came back and had a fit when Haymitch told him to calm down. He had even flipped a table, so I've been told. Boggs had to restrain him.

But what's worse is that they have decided to attack the Capitol. And because of the baby the will not let me go! Not even Haymitch will try to convince them for me. In fact he is with them.

Thankfully Plutarch wants to fly me in for the first couple of days. It's only to film… but who knows what can happen in a battlefield.

And don't ask me how but somehow I managed to pass my soldiers test. Despite the huge ball called my belly.

Well… Peeta calls her Adele.

I watch as all the other teams gear up and fly out. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to face Peeta. I know he doesn't want me there either. He gives me a weak smile.

"Don't worry," he says. "We'll be there in a few days." I smile back.


	7. An Ending of Sorts

**An Ending of Sorts**

"Let me see her!" I hear a voice yell through the fog. I know that voice, I love that voice. Is it Prim? No, this is a man.

Prim…

Prim is dead.

I saw the bomb go off. I was close enough to the blast to be severely injured. A lot of my left side hurts.

_The baby!_

I sit up as much as I can and my hand files straight to my stomach. A hand grabs mine just as I feel the bump.

"She's okay," I hear Peeta say. "We're lucky we didn't loose the both of you."

I close my eyes and weep.

Its five months later now and I look down at by beautiful little baby. She's only a month old and just like Peeta had wanted, we named her Adele. I remember back to the time when I had been afraid Peeta would never get to name her.

Adele and Peeta. They meant the world to me. They were all I had.

I think Adele is healing the both of us. Peeta is more or less back to normal. Every now and then I see him grip something till his knuckles turn white and I know it's the 'shinies'.

I am still broken. The war has damaged me further than anyone could ever know. They have me talking to a therapist, but he wont help. I know it will take a very long time for either of us to be back to normal. But with Adele, we will get there someday.

I look down at my beautiful baby girl. She has my hair and Peeta's gorgeous blue eyes. Only the joy of holding her in my arms is keeping me together.

I fear the days when she will ask her mummy about the horrid Hunger Games. And the days she would learn what her mother had done.

Softly I sing to her. A tune that will be engraved in my head forever.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow  
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow  
Lay down your head, and close your eyes  
And when they open, the sun will rise_

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet–  
–and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away  
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray  
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay  
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away_

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet–  
– and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

…_Here is the place where I love you…_

As I sing I see two girls dance through my head. One dark and as beautiful as ebony. The other fair and as bright as day. Silently a tear rolls down my cheek.

Peeta comes up behind me and kisses me. I know that someday, we will be alright.


End file.
